Billy Crystal

This is Spinal Tap (41st Anniversary Edition)

25/08/25

Cineworld, Edinburgh

What better way to mark the end of another Edinburgh Fringe than to watch one of the greatest films of all time? This is Spinal Tap is back in the cinemas for its – ahem – forty-first anniversary. (Yes, even their commemorations go up to 11.) Those who follow upcoming film releases will know that a long-rumoured sequel, Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues, is on the cinematic horizon. How good can that possibly be? Well, the trailer looks promising…

If you’ve somehow never heard of Spinal Tap, here’s your chance to acquaint yourselves with one of the loudest – and most punctual – heavy rock bands in history.

I first saw this film at a press show in 1984 at the infamous Aaben cinema in Hulme, Greater Manchester. I was working as a film reviewer for Piccadily Radio at the time and, as somebody who’d spent a great many years as a member of an ill-fated rock band of my own, to say that the movie struck a chord with me would be something of an understatement. It was like watching my youth being replayed in front of my eyes – only for bigger laughs than Hieronymus Bosch ever mustered. (What can I tell you? We met in art school.)

Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner, making his directorial debut) introduces his (if you will) rockumentary, as he accompanies veteran rockers, Spinal Tap, on their latest tour of America. The band comprises David St Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer). They also have a keyboard player and a drummer in tow, but are the first to admit that they don’t have great history with percussionists – one of them actually exploded.

Their cricket bat-wielding manager, Ian Faith (Tony Hendra), is along for the ride and, in the latter half of the film, so is David’s zodiac-obsessed girlfriend, Jeanine (June Chadwick), her presence causing pressure-cooker tension between David and Nigel. Eagle-eyed viewers will enjoy spotting the likes of Angelica Huston and Billy Crystal in walk-on roles and there’s a delightful cameo from the late, great Patrick Macnee as Sir Denis Eton-Hogg, president of Polymer Records.

The ensuing film is a riotous collection of rock songs with outrageous lyrics, a whole raft of ultra-quotable quips, a selection of toe-curling and farcical situations – all perfectly judged as the action cuts back and forth from location to location, the band heading ever deeper into the brown stuff. It’s laugh-out-loud funny and one of those very rare cases of American actors nailing British accents with absolute authenticity.

I’m always hesitant when asked to pick an all-time favourite movie but this just might be the one. I must have seen it more than a dozen times, but a chance to see a brand spanking new 4K restoration?

And this one’s in Dubly. Yes, thank you!

5 stars

Philip Caveney

Howl’s Moving Castle

12/04/18

We had thought that the final film in the Cameo Cinema’s Studio Ghibli season had eluded us – but, luckily for us, they have scheduled a Thursday lunchtime screening of Howl’s Moving Castle and I’m delighted they have, because this is surely something that deserves to be viewed on the big screen. For its sheer visual impressiveness, it’s certainly the best-looking film of the season. Based on Diana Wynne Jones’ 1986 novel, Hayao Mizayaki’s sumptuous animation creates a stunning, steam-punk flavoured world, that contrasts charming Victorian imagery with futuristic depictions of flying machines and the horrors of warfare. Unlike the earlier films in the season, the version we see is dubbed and voiced by Western actors, but hey, you can’t have everything.

Eighteen year old Sophie (Emily Mortimer) is a shy, unassuming girl, who works in her late father’s hat shop. She’s always thought of herself as plain and listens enviously as the local women discuss the mysterious Howl (Christian Bale), a powerful (and devilishly handsome)  magician who dwells in the eponymous moving castle. It is said that if he falls for a beautiful woman, he will devour her heart – so Sophie assumes herself safe from his predations. But then she does have an encounter with him and, shortly afterwards, is cursed by one of his rivals, the Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall), who transforms her into an old woman. Desperate to find a cure for her condition, Sophie heads into the Wasteland, hoping she will find a wizard powerful enough to help her, but meets up instead, with a very helpful scarecrow. Pretty soon, she finds herself taking refuge in the moving castle itself, employed as a cleaner and constantly having to tend to wisecracking fire demon, Calcifer (Billy Crystal), who manages the travelling building and makes sure that everything runs smoothly for Howl.

As I said, the world-building here is absolutely spectacular, encompassing scenes that will make you gasp at the sheer beauty and ingenuity displayed on the screen. Rather less convincing is the needlessly complicated storyline, which is at times hard to follow. I am also less enthusiastic about the fact that Sophie’s age changes from scene-to-scene (the older Sophie is voiced by veteran actress, Jean Simmons); though this is, at first, an intriguing move, it eventually seems to lack a consistent logic – why is she young in this scene? And old in this one? And… middle-aged here?

However, the  sheer splendour and invention of the film overpower me in the end. It’s an extraordinary achievement and, up on the big screen, it glows like a collection of precious jewels.

4.5 stars

Philip Caveney